Samskip and Boluda Lines will launch a shortsea container service connecting the ports of Santander, Dublin and Liverpool.
In particular, the joint service, which will launch on 30 September, provides a new weekly Spain-Ireland-UK shortsea option for unitised cargoes that is highly cost-competitive against road-ferry alternatives, while at the same time offering greater reliability and substantially reducing CO2 emissions per tonne mile.
With Saturday departures from Santander by the 803 TEU container vessel Lucia B., the new service offers a three-day transit time to Dublin port. Additionally, the service offers calls at Liverpool’s Royal Seaforth Container Terminal, due two days after, before the ship’s southbound voyage to Spain.
Furthermore, the cargoes can move in several types of containers, including 13-meter-high cubes, reefers and flatracks, or in shippers’ own equipment.
Meanwhile, in northern Spain, the focal point for operations will be Boluda Maritime Terminals Santander, which will provide links to Ireland and the UK and is highly competitive against other local ports. Opened by Boluda in April 2023, after terminal investments approaching €40 million, the brand-new facility offers the capacity to handle over 110,000 TEUs a year.
Gorka Carrillo Fernández, CEO of Boluda Shipping, commented, “This collaboration represents a crucial step forward in enhancing connectivity between Spain, Ireland, and the UK, while aligning with our commitment to sustainable and efficient transport solutions.”
